Leaders of the United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP) held a powerful demonstration in front of the European Parliament at Place Luxembourg, Brussels, condemning Pakistan’s 1947 tribal invasion of the Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). The protest, marking the tragic anniversary of October 22, 1947, denounced what participants described as “Pakistan’s brutal attack that tore apart the fabric of a peaceful and progressive state”.
In a video released on Facebook, the demonstrators said that the invasion, codenamed Operation Gulmarg, led to mass killings, destruction of homes and displacement of thousands of Kashmiri families.
They asserted that the attack not only divided the state but also sowed decades of suffering and political instability. “Our people were massacred, our children orphaned and our women widowed,” declared one participant, adding that Pakistan’s actions amounted to crimes against humanity.
The demonstrators called for the formation of an independent fact-finding mission to investigate human rights violations across all regions of PoJK. They demanded international accountability and sanctions against Islamabad for the continued repression and exploitation of these territories. They urged European institutions to revive that policy stance and convene an international conference on PoJK to ensure a peaceful and just resolution.
They accused Pakistan of decades-long violations, including political suppression, denial of fundamental rights and the imposition of draconian laws in its administered regions. “For 78 years, Pakistan has used PoJK as a pawn in its geopolitical game, while our people continue to suffer under occupation”, said one demonstrator. The rally concluded with a call for a demilitarised PoJK, free from all foreign control. Flags were raised and the memory of 1947 was invoked as a day of mourning and resistance.
(With Inputs from ANI)
